Page:The Fauna of British India, including Ceylon and Burma (Birds Vol 2).djvu/167

Rh and thence down to the central parts of Tenasserim. This Thru-li is ;il so found in the plains of India, where it has been recorded from the North- West Provinces, Behar, Bengal, Chutia Na.sjpur, OrUsa, and Central India, extending, according to Jerdon, as far sou Mi as the Wynaad.

It is doubtful to what extent this Thrush is migratory. It breeds throughout the Himalayas, and also occurs in those mountains in winter, and it is found throughout the year in the Dhoon. From the plains of India and from Assam to Tenasserim I have seen no specimens that were killed in the summer months ; but this is not improbably due to the inactivity of collectors during the latter part of the hot season and during the rains. On the whole I am inclined to think that this bird is resident on ah 1 the hill-ranges wil hin its area of distribution, and merely descends to the adjoining plains in the winter.

Habits, $c. Breeds in the Himalayas in May and June up to 7000 feet at least. The nest is a cup, constructed of moss and lined with fern-leaves, placed in a tree. The eggs, probably three in number as a rule, are greenish white, marked with brownish and reddish purple, and measure about 1'23 by '91.*

ODD. Oreocincla nilgiriensis. The Nilgiri Thrush.

Oreocincla nilgiriensis, Blyth, J. A. 8. B. xvi, p. 141 (1847) ; id. Cat. p. ]60; Jerd. B. I. i, p. 534; Hume, S. F. iv, p. 399; id. Cat. no. 372 ; Davison, S. F. x, p. 374 ; Terry, S. F. x, p. 474 ; Dates in Hume's N. $ E. 2nd ed. ii, p. 107.

Geocichla nilgiriensis (Blijth Seebohm, Cat. B. M. v, p. 157.

Coloration. Resembles 0. dnuma in general appearance, but has the wing shorter and more rounded, the third, fourth, and fifth quills being about equal and longest, the second rather shorter than the sixth ; has a much larger bill, resembling that of Zoothera ; has the upper plumage more rufous, with the sub terminal pale patches hardly indicated, and the lower plumage less tinged with fulvous and whiter throughout.

Legs, feet, and claws dark fleshy ; iris dark brown : upper mandible blackish ; lower mandible brown, palest at base ; gape yellow


 * 698 a. OREOCINCLA VAUIA. White's Thrush.

Turdus varius, Pall. Zoogr. Rosso-As. i. p. 449 (1811). Geocichla varia, Seebohm, Cat. B. M. v. p. 151. So similar to 0. dnuma as to require no separate description, but much larger
 * md iili 1 1 tail-Tea! hers.

Iris brown ; upper mandible brown, lower pale ; legs whitish brown (

Length about 12; tail 4-5 ; wing 6'4 ; tarsus 1'3."> ; bill from gape 1'5.

Distribution. South-eastern Siberia and North China in summer ; South Japan, South China, and the Philippine Islands in winter. A male specimen was procured by Ward law Rain-ay at Toungngoo on January llth. 1876.